Photo adjustments
Converted to WebP and resized without changing the subject or cropping the source frame.
Explore the region
About Beijing National Stadium
Designed for the 2008 Olympic Games and used again for the 2022 ceremonies, it is one of the central buildings of Olympic Green. The apparent irregularity of the outer steelwork is worth studying from several angles, especially in contrast with the neighboring Aquatics Center. An exterior circuit provides a coherent architectural visit; entry to the bowl, tours, and event areas depends on the stadium’s current program.
The stadium's design was chosen through a bidding process begun in 2001, before Beijing had been awarded the Olympics, which required entries to allow for post-Olympics use, a retractable roof, and low maintenance costs; the field was narrowed to thirteen final designs. The 'nest' proposal from the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, developed from a study of Chinese ceramics and using steel beams originally meant to hide supports for a retractable roof, was approved as the top design and became the official scheme in April 2003; the artist Ai Weiwei served as artistic consultant on the project.
The retractable roof was ultimately dropped from the design, though it had inspired the stadium's bird's-nest appearance. Construction broke ground on 24 December 2003 and the stadium, covering 204,000 square meters with a capacity of 80,000 (91,000 with temporary seating), was completed at a cost of US$428 million and officially opened on 28 June 2008.
The stadium is owned and operated by a partnership between Beijing Municipal State-owned Assets Management Co (58 percent) and CITIC Group (42 percent). Since the 2008 Olympics it has had difficulty attracting other events, including football matches, and a shopping mall and hotel have been planned to increase use of the venue.
What to look for
- Outer steel lattice: compare the overlapping members and the spaces between them as you change viewpoint.
- Stadium-and-aquatics-center setting: look at the two Olympic landmarks together to appreciate their contrasting forms.
Location & getting there
Getting to Beijing National Stadium
The stadium stands in Olympic Green in Chaoyang. The matched listing identifies Olympic Green station on Metro Lines 8 and 15.
- Use the stadium entrance shown on an event or tour confirmation when entering; a general Olympic Park arrival is not a specific gate.
Combine your visit
Suggested order within this visit:
-
Stadium exterior
Begin with an overall view of the steel nest.
-
A second perimeter viewpoint
Compare the lattice against the inner bowl from another angle.
-
National Aquatics Center exterior国家游泳中心水立方
Add the nearby contrasting Olympic building.
This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.
Find Beijing National Stadium
国家体育场鸟巢 · 朝阳区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
National Aquatics Center 国家游泳中心水立方
Less than 1 km awayThe National Aquatics Center, widely called the Water Cube, is the bubble-clad venue beside the Bird's Nest in Beijing's Olympic Green. Its square outline and translucent cushions create a deliberate visual contrast with the…
View guide →China Ethnic Museum 中华民族园
Less than 1 km awayChina Ethnic Museum, also called the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, presents the architecture and daily-life traditions of China’s ethnic groups through exhibitions and reconstructed village settings. Its north and south sections…
View guide →Olympic Green 奥林匹克公园
1 km awayOlympic Green brings together the major Beijing venues associated with the 2008 Summer Games and their later reuse for the 2022 Winter Games. The Bird’s Nest stadium and the National Aquatics Center form the most recognizable…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1372067347.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Beijing National Stadium", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1372067347.